Self-latching handle



June 1965 B. M. SAUNDERS SELF-LATCHING HANDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 31, 1963 FIG.

FIG. 3

INVEN'TOR.

BENJAMIN M. SAUNDERS ATTORNEYS June 1965 B. M. SAUNDERS SELF-LATCHING HANDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 31, 1963 llll/ FIG. 4

INVENTOR. BENJAMIN M. SAUNDERS ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,189,938 Patented June 22, 1965 3,189,938 SELF-LATCHING HANDLE Benjamin M. Saunders, 1791 Lydia Drive NW,

Huntsville, Ala.

Filed July 31, 1963, Ser. No. 299,124 7' Claims. (til. 16-126) (Granted under Title 35, US. Qode (I952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for govenmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to a latching means for panels, doors, drawers, and the like and more particular to a bandle which includes a built-in mechanism for locking the panel, door, or drawer in position.

In large electronic chassis constructions, drawers carrying electronic components are fiitted into spaces in a cabinet so they may be easily pulled out from the cabinet to reveal the electronic components for repair, replacement, or inspection purposes. The drawers usually have a face panel which abuts the cabinet surface about the cabinet opening when the drawer is fully inserted into the cabinet. Also, such electronic chassis constructions are often fitted with panels or doors which cover cabinet openings and abuts the cabinet surface about the opening to provide easy access to the electronic gear within the chassis when desired.

Heretofore, these panels and drawers have usually been secured to the cabinet by conventional screw and nut arrangements. Thus, considerable time was entailed to remove or secure the cabinets panels and drawers and often the nut or perhaps the screw would be accidentally dropped into the electrical equipment to cause electrical shorts.

Other mechanical means were utilized, occasionally, to hold the panel or drawer to the cabinet, but they usually held only at one point per panel side. Thus, a simplified means for securely holding a panel or a drawer to a cabinet which also provided for an easy manner to remove the panel or drawer has existed for a long period of time.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a latching mechanism for panels and drawer face panels to securely hold the panels and drawer face panels to the cabinet and yet still provide for easy removability.

Another object is to provided a combined handle and latching means for panels, drawers, and the like, which is simple in design and trouble-free in operation.

Other and further objects, uses, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The invention is drawn to a channel-shape handle having its two end portions substantially perpendicular to its middle portion. The two end portions extend through elongated slots adjacent a side edge of a panel or drawer face panel and each end portion is pivotally secured to a structural member which projects from the backside of the panel.

Adjacent each pivoted end of the handle is a ramp latch for engaging the inner corner of the cabinet edge which defines the cabinet opening. A spring extends between the structural member attached to the backside of the panel and each handle end portion to bias the handle toward the cabinet edge forming the opening. The ramp latch extends behind the face of the cabinet and, thus, prevents the panel from being removed. No modification or attachments need be made to the cabinet.

When the handle is pivoted toward the panels center, the ramp latch is pivoted away from cabinets edge so that by pulling back on the handle the panel will be removed from the cabinet to reveal the opening.

It is apparent that by utilizing two such handles, a panel or drawer face panel is securely fastened to the cabinet by locking action of the ramp latch and also easil released by manually pivoting the handles toward the panel center at the same time.

This will be more readily understood by the following detailed description when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a panel having two latching handles of the present invention installed thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a detailed perspective view of one of the latching handles shown in FIGURE 1, portions of the panel removed for clarity.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the latching handles of the present invention installed on the face panel of a drawer of a cabinet.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational cross-sectional view showing the panel of FIGURE 1 installed within the opening of a cabinet, with phantom lines indicating the unlatched position of the handles.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 which shows a rectangular cabinet panel ll having two self-latching handles 13 of the present invention mounted thereon adjacent two opposed side edges. The handle 13 as shown is channel shaped and comprises two identical end portions 15 substantially perpendicular to its middle portion 17. Each end portion 15 extends through one elongated slot 19 of a pair of elongated slots aligned and evenly spaced from a side edge of the panel 11.

As shown best in FIGURES 2 and 4, each handle end portion 15 is slotted or bifurcated to pivotally receive a connecting lug 21 at is extremity. A dowel pin 23 pivotally secures the bifurcated portion of the handle end portion 15 to the lug 2.1.

The lug 21 is supported by a rib 25 which projects from the backside of the panel 11. The lug 25 has a threaded bolt member 27 projecting from its base through a hole in the rib 25 by which a nut 30 securely tightens the lug 21 to the rib 25.

A ramp latch 29 is also positioned between the bifurcated parts of the handle 13 and is securely held therein by a pair of fasteners 31. The ramp latch 29 slopes from the outer surface of the bifurcated portion of the handle 13 into an inside corner 33 defining an obtuse angle. The bottom surface 35 of the inside corner having a sloping characteristic to prevent the corner from jamming against the cabinet edge 37 (FIGURE 4) of the cabinet 38 when the handles 13 are pivoted as described hereinafter.

A leaf spring 39 has a flat portion 41 extending between the base of the lug 21 and rib 25 as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. The lug bolt extends through the fiat portion 41 to securely anchor the spring 39 in position. The spring 39 extends outwardly from the rib 25 and its flat portion 41 and contacts the handle end portion 15. Thus, it is apparent the spring 39 will bias the handle 13 outwardly in a pivoting movement about the dowel pin 23.

The slots 19 within the panel are elongated to permit a slight rotation of the handle 13 about its pivot. This elongation is such that the handle 13 may pivot inwardly toward the panel center at an angle at least equal to the angle the sloping surface 43 of the ramp latch 29 makes with the center line of the handle end portion 15. This are angle in most applications will range from 7 to 15 degrees.

The handles 13 are shown mounted on the face panel 51 of a drawer 53 for a cabinet 57 in FIGURE 3. In this embodiment the sides 55 of the drawer 53 serve the same purpose as the ribs 25 of FIGURE 1.

In operation, an individual will grasp each handle 13 and pivot them toward the panel center, as shown by the phantom lines of FIGURE 4, so that the ramp sneaess latches 29 will be removed from the cabinet edge 3'7 forming the opening 48. The outer surface of the ramp latch 43 will be substantially parallel and spaced from the cabinet edge 37 when the handle 13 is pivoted to its opposed edges of the panel 11, an individual may apply dles 13' are once again grasped and pivoted toward the center the arc distance permitted by the elongated slots 19, and the panel ll is moved over the opening 48 with the projecting ribs 25 (or drawer sides, bottom, or top),

an arc angle at least equal to the angle the sloping edge surface of said ramp latch makes with the center line of said handle. 3.'In a panel adapted to cover a cabinet opening, the improvement, comprising:

(a) a bail handle having two substantially parallel end portions;

(b) each end portion having a latch fixed thereto;

(c) each said latch having a side surface extending from the end portion into an inside corner defining an obtuse angle, said inside corner being adapted to receive the inner edge corner of the cabinet opening;

(d) means for pivotally securing the extremity of each said end portion to the backside of said panel;

pivoting forces on the handles 13, such that the force on (e) a spring means for pivotally biasing said handle one handle 13 will have a direction opposite to the force toward the cabinet edge opening so as to place the on the other, and the panel 11 will have no resultant bottom edge surface of said inside corner portion force causing a pivoting or sidewise movement of the of each said latch behind the face surface of the panel 11 itself. cabinet; and

In positioning the panel Illv over the opening, the han- 15 (f) means for limiting the pivoting of said handle.

4. in a panel adapted to cover a cabinet opening, the improvement, comprising:

(a) a pair of bail handles, each handle having two substantially parallel end portions extending front extending into the cabinet opening 4-8. The panel 11 is its middle portion;

located so itsbackside adjacent its edges will abut the (b) each end portion of said handles having a ramp face surface of the cabinet latch fixed there.o;

The handle 13 may then be released and the spring 39 (0) each said ramp latch having a surface extending will force the inside corner 33 of the latch ramp 29 into outwardly from the outer surface of the end porreception of the inner edge corner of the cabinet edge tion into an inside corner, said inside corner being 37. The bottom surface 35 of the inside corner 33 poradapted to receive the inner edge corner of the tion of the latch 29 will thus extend behind the face of cabinet opening; the cabinet 33 and securely lock the panel 11 in position. (d) means for pivotally securing each said end por Thus, it is apparent that a novel self-latching hard tions to the backside of said panel; ware has been disclosed for panels, drawers, and the (e) a spring means for pivotally biasing each said like which combines a one-piece channel shape or bale handle toward the cabinet edge opening so as to handle with a latch mechanism of remarkable simplicity. place the bottom edge surface of said inside portion By providing a slight inward pressure on the handle so of the ramp latch behind the face surface of the as to pivot it approximately 7 to 15 degrees, the locking cabinet; or latching mechanism is released and the panel may 35 (f) said handles being spaced apart and located so easily be removed. each may be manually grasped at the same time Obviously, many modifications and variations of the and pivoted by manually applied forces having a present invention are possible in the light of the above direction opposite to each other. teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within 5. In a panel adapted to cover a cabinet opening, the the scope of the appended claims the invention may be 49 improvement, comprising: practiced other than as specifically described. (a) a rib extending from the backside of said panel;

What is claimed is: (b) a bail handle having tWo substantially parallel end 1. In a panel adapted to cover a cabinet opening, the portions extending from its middle portion; improvement, comprising: (c) said panel having a pair of elongated slots adja- (a) a handle having a bifurcated end portion; cent and evenly spaced from a side edge thereof;

(b) a connecting lug pivotally received within said (d) said handle having its end portions extending bifurcated end portion adjacent its extremity; through said pair of slots, one end portion extending (0) means for fixedly securing said connecting lug to through one slot;

said panel; (e) a pair of connecting lugs, each lug pivotally at- (d) a ramp latch partly positioned within said bifur- 50 tached at one end to the extremity of one of said.

cated end portion and fixed thereto; handle end portions and fixedly attached at its other (e) said ramp latch having a side surface sloping outend to said rib;

wardly from the outer surface of the bifurcated end (f) each handle end portion having a latch with a portion into an inside corner defining an obtuse side surface defining an inside corner portion which angle, said inside corner being adapted to receive 5" is adapted to receive an outside corner portion of the inner edge corner of the cabinet opening; the cabinet edge forming the cabinet opening; and

(f) said sloping edge surface defining an angle with g) spring means for pivotally biasing said handle t0- the center line of the bifurcated end portion of 7 to ward the cabinet edge opening. 15 degrees; 6. A self-latching handle for a panel, comprising:

(g) said inside corner having a sloping characteristic G0 (a) a channel shaped member having two end porfor its bottom surface to prevent jamming against tions substantially perpendicular to its middle por the cabinet edge when the handle is pivoted about tion;

, said connecting lug. (b) a pair of connecting lugs;

2. The improvement defined by claim 1, including: (0) each said end portion being slotted at its ex- (a) a spring means for pivotally biasing said handle tremity;

toward the cabinet edge opening so as to place the (d) one of said connecting lugs being pivotally rebottom edge surface of said inside corner portion ceived within one of said slotted end portions and of the ramp latch behind the face surface of the the other of said connecting lugs being pivotally recabinet; and ceived Within the other of said slotted end portions; (b) means for limiting the pivoting of said handle to 7 0 (e) a pair of ramp latches;

(f) one of said ramp latches being partly positioned within one of said slotted end portions and the other of said ramp latches being partly positioned within the other of said slotted end portions;

(g) each said ramp latch having a side surface slop- 5 ing from the outer surface of a slotted end portion (e) spring means for pivotally biasing each said end into an inside corner defining an obtuse angle; and portion. (h) spring means for pivotally biasing said handle. 7. A self-latching handle for a panel, comprising: References Cited by the Examiner (a) athail handle having two substantially parallel end 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS por ions; (b) each said end portion having a latch fixed thereto; j f et a1 (0) each said latch having a side surface extending 1845335 2/32 i fi from the end portion into an inside corner defining 189708O 2/33 sosen a 3 an obtuse angle; 10 oper ((1) each said end portion having a connecting lug 3107958 10/63 Robbins 312 320 pivotally attached thereto; and DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PANEL ADAPTED TO COVER A CABINET OPENING, THE IMPROVEMENT, COMPRISING: (A) A HANDLE HAVING A BIFURCATED END PORTION; (B) A CONNECTING LUG PIVOTALLY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID BIFURCATED END PORTION ADJACENT ITS EXTREMITY; (C) MEANS FOR FIXEDLY SECURING SAID CONNECTING LUG TO SAID PANEL; (D) A RAMP LATCH PARTLY POSITIONED WITHIN SAID BIFURCATED END PORTION AND FIXED THERETO; (E) SAID RAMP LATCH HAVING A SIDE SURFACE SLOPING OUTWARDLY FROM THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE BIFURCATED END PORTION INTO AN INSIDE CORNER DEFINING AN OBTUSE ANGLE, SAID INSIDE CORNER BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE INNER EDGE CORNER OF THE CABINET OPENING; (F) SAID SLOPING EDGE SURFACE DEFINING AN ANGLE WITH THE CENTER LINE OF THE BIFURCATED END PORTION OF 7 TO 15 DEGREES; (G) SAID INSIDE CORNER HAVING A SLOPING CHARACTERISTIC FOR ITS BOTTOM SURFACE TO PREVENT JAMMING AGAINST THE CABINET EDGE WHEN THE HANDLE IS PIVOTED ABOUT SAID CONNECTING LUG. 